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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. present — a gift
  4. firm — decided
  5. present — there
  6. firm — steady
  7. cap — a hat
  8. firm — a company
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. board — a committee
  11. cap — of ice
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. present — the time now
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. march — the month
  18. net — for catching
  19. board — to get on
  20. net — in sport
  21. march — music
  22. cap — a lid
  23. march — the month
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com